Treatment of bed sores generally takes the form of relieving pressure by placing a pillow or other soft support beneath the afflicted area. In some cases water beds are used to reduce pressure and chafing. U.S. Pat. No. 2,085,296 to Carey discloses an invalid cushion comprising an envelope and a pad or filler. The envelope is in the form of a sheet having an interior compartment formed from the plys of the sheet and which defines a central aperture, there being substantial margins to the sheet that are to lie flat on the bed or other resting surface of the individual being treated. Access to the interior compartment formed between the plys of the sheet is through a continuous circumferential slit in the central aperture, the slit being defined by the interior edges of the upper ply and the lower ply. Closure of the slit is by means of a zipper fastener. The pad similarly has a central aperture, and once the pad is inserted into the compartment in the sheet, the zipper can be closed. Although the Carey device traps air below the bed sore affected area, air does not pass through the cushion because the pad as well as the margins of the sheet rest directly on the bedding surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,986,697 to Wilson discloses an air ring for bedridden patients comprising an inflatible cushion having a central aperture. The cushion, which rests directly on the bed, has a tubular body forming a substantially closed circle, the terminal ends of the tubular body being relatively small, separately inflatible compartments, these compartments being provided with straps to connect one terminal compartments to another. By uncoupling the straps the Wilson device allows treatment of the patient without removal of the patient from the air ring.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,606,886 to Bittner and 2,305,289 to Coburg are also of interest. Bittner discloses a pressure relief cushion for corns, while Coburg discloses a surgical applicance attachable to the body of a patient to prevent bodily fluids from entering the surrounding parts of the body during surgery.
None of the prior art devices disclose a device for bedridden patients that allows free passage of air to reach the bed sore afflicted area of the patient.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cushion support article to relieve pressure from a portion of a patient's body so as to prevent bed sores.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cushion support article to facilitate the healing of bed sores.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a cushion support article that allows air to reach the bed sore afflicted area of the patient.
Another object of this invention is to provide an article that can be maintained in sanitary condition.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are described in detail in this specification and with reference to the accompanying drawings. A summary of the invention appears immediately below.